The Swan is Born
by BubbaGumpShrimp
Summary: A collection of one-shots featuring Captain Swan and gang and their adventures with Killian's new ship.
1. Chapter 1

_A collection of one-shots featuring Captain Swan and gang and their adventures with Killian's new ship. _

_**Disclaimer: **__Obvs, I don't own OUAT, I just live vicariously through its characters._

* * *

Rolling over in their large bed, Emma quickly realized she was alone, his side of the bed long gone cold. Killian had always been an early riser, military training and centuries at sea made that a difficult habit to break, but this was a bit ridiculous. Emma rolled her eyes as she looked at the clock before begrudgingly slipping on her robe and slippers to check on her love.

She knew he didn't think she noticed, but she did. He slipped out of bed each day earlier and earlier, this morning long before the sun started peaking up over the horizon. He always came back to bed before she woke, slipping his arms around her, an unspoken promise that he would always be there.

She found him leaning against the railing of the deck on their new apartment facing the harbor, a strange expression on his face. A wave of guilt settled deep in Emma's stomach as she identified that look: _longing. _Hurt came next as she selfishly feared she would never be enough for him, but this confession only led to more guilt.

No matter how often he reassures her with words and actions, no matter how many times he tells her she was worth it all, Emma will never feel completely free of guilt knowing how much he sacrificed to save her and her family.

Suddenly, Killian took a deep breath and turned around, and she watched as all traces of longing and nostalgia left his face. He allows himself a few moments each morning to smell the sea breeze and just miss it, but a few moments is all. _Self-pity is not in good form_, he repeats the mantra before clearing his face and heading back to bed.

Quickly, Emma jumped back in bed and feigns sleep, not wanting Killian to know she was watching him during a private moment. She feels the bed dip and as his arms wrap around her, a sad smile crosses her face.

_Time to go talk to Leroy_, she decides as sleep slowly claims her again.

* * *

The beach is quiet as they walk along the shore, with only the soft sound of waves to accompany their footsteps. They've walked the path from their apartment to the docks a hundred times before, but Killian sensed something was different this time. Emma seemed… _nervous?_

Grabbing her hand, he gave her a reassuring squeeze. He won't pry. She'll share when she's ready. He's nothing if not a patient man.

They continued to walk in silence until Emma suddenly stops, pulling him with her.

"Swan?"

"Well, this is it," she said softly, gesturing to a small yacht moored to the dock in front of them.

His eyebrow shot up in confusion as he turned towards her. "What exactly am I looking at, love?"

"It's yours," Emma responded hurriedly. When he didn't say anything right away, she started to ramble, "I know it's not much, and it's not the _Jolly Roger_, but now you can get back out on the water, and it has a motor as well as sails, and I know it needs some work, but Leroy and David have been fixing it up, and—"

Unable to come up with an adequate response, Killian silenced her with his lips.

Breaking apart just long enough to breathe, Emma continued her rambling.

"—and Henry helped pick it out and made a few suggestions although I don't think there's enough room for an armory—"

Laughing, Killian captured her lips again. "EMMA! Stop talking, you bloody raving woman!"

Startled, Emma pulled back, redness creeping up her cheeks as she returned to the moment. Grabbing her chin with his hand, Killian brought her eyes back up to meet his.

"It's perfect, love," he assured her with one of those smiles that made her heart melt.

And then it was his turn to look nervous, as he scratched behind his ear and cleared his throat before continuing. "I—I'm not used to receiving such a gift. No one has ever done anything like this for me before…" he finished awkwardly.

Lifting her arms around his neck, she stood on her tiptoes to give him a chaste kiss.

"Well, get used to it, buddy. There's more where this came from."

Grinning, he quickly picked her up in his arms as she let out a small shriek. "Then I guess there's only one thing left to do, love," he whispered in her ear as he carried her across the gangplank to board his ship.

"And what's that?" Emma questioned coyly.

"Christen it, of course," he responded with a wink, carrying her down the stairs into the cabin.

* * *

Lying in the afterglow of their lovemaking, both quietly enjoyed the rocking of the waves beneath them. Killian chuckled softly to himself, realizing he still needed a proper tour of his new boat, having not seen much in their haste to find the main cabin.

"So what are you going to name her?" Emma asked while lightly stroking the planes of his stomach. "I heard it was bad luck for a ship to be nameless."

"Don't fret, love, I've got an idea…" he responded with a smirk.

And _The Swan _was born.

* * *

_I couldn't stop thinking about "Forrest Gump" when I was writing this: "There was only one name I could think of, the most beautiful name in the whole wide world... There must've been about six or seven 'Jenny's." Haha, it just made me giggle. _

_Please review! My self-esteem is a shy little girl who lives on reviews :) _


	2. Good Help

_Just a little something-something... More adventures aboard _The Swan

_Disclaimer: OUAT = NOT mine_

* * *

It was well past the time a responsible adult should have been awake when she finally roused herself out of bed. _Screw it_, _it's Saturday,_ she thought when she turned off her alarm two hours prior. She knew Killian had been awake for hours and was most likely already out at the docks, but she was surprised when she did not hear the usual clamoring of Henry around the apartment.

Glancing at her phone, she read the text Henry sent an hour ago: _Didn't want to wake you. Helping K & D work on _The Swan_. Be back for lunch. _

Emma grimaced as she read the message, still embarrassed that Killian had named his boat after her. She tried to talk him out of it, stating that was hardly an appropriate name for a pirate's ship. _Former pirate, _he had argued adamantly, _and I think it's perfect. _It seemed he was determined to display his love for her for the whole town to see and there was nothing she could do about it. She struggled between rolling her eyes and blushing, still not used to this level of PDA.

Admittedly relieved to have the apartment to herself for once, Emma made coffee and turned on a trashy talk show that she would never confess to watching. _Geez_, she thought, the families featured on it made hers look downright functional, and with that she decided to start making lunch to bring down to the docks for her boys.

Before she got too far with the sandwiches, she heard a buzzing from her phone indicating a text from David:

_Come down to the hospital. There's been a little accident._

_A "little accident"!? What the hell does that mean?! _She internally screamed while simultaneously calling David and grabbing her coat and keys.

She was furious. She was terrified. The two emotions warred with each other during the excruciatingly long drive to the hospital. _Who shares information like that through a text and then proceeds to not pick up their phone?! _She tried calling David again and Henry with no response from either, and then cursed herself for not getting Killian a cell phone too.

Having no idea what to expect, her mind immediately brought forth the worst possible scenario, and she shivered as she remembered how Henry looked lying in the hospital bed, unmoving and covered in EKG leads. Realistically, whatever happened probably wasn't that severe, seeing as David thought it was appropriate to notify her in a text. That thought brought her back to being furious.

Next, she pictured Killian with a nail through his foot, thinking that was probably closer to the truth of what actually happened. _Who would let a 300-year old one-handed pirate near power tools anyway?_ she thought, rolling her eyes.

After what seemed like forever, she finally pulled into the hospital parking lot. Walking through the front doors, she quickly spotted David and a soaking wet Killian in the waiting area.

"What the hell happened, David?! Where's Henry?" she was shouting at them while making her way across the room.

"He's okay, Emma, don't worry," David put a reassuring hand on her shoulder. "He's getting cleared by Whale right now."

"Ok, well that doesn't explain what happened."

"Henry tripped when we were working on the deck," David continued, "He fell in the water and blacked-out for a moment, so we brought him to get checked out in case he hit his head."

Emma let herself relax just a little. David didn't seem very anxious, so she started to believe him that things would be fine. Kids fall down and bump their heads all the time; he'd be okay. It was then that she finally took in her drenched boyfriend, standing in a puddle of water on the linoleum.

"Did you fall in too?" she asked him with the tiniest of smirks.

"More willingly than Henry did," Killian responded quietly, his hand coming up to scratch his ear.

"Killian dove in after him," David added, not caring if the acknowledgment made Killian uncomfortable. "It could have been a lot worse if he hadn't gotten Henry to safety so quickly."

"Are you okay?" Emma asked, eyes scanning Killian from top to bottom looking for any sign of injury.

"Just a bit waterlogged, love, but no worse for wear."

"Thank you," she whispered in his ear as she pulled him into an embrace, not caring that she got wet in the process.

Just as David loudly cleared his throat, effectively cutting off their show of affection, Dr. Whale came around the corner with Henry in tow dressed in blue hospital scrubs.

"Scans were clear. Looks like he suffered a minor concussion, but he'll be fine." Dr. Whale said to Emma, handing her the discharge information. "Keep an eye on him for a few days, and bring him in if he starts having any issues with vision or memory loss."

After thanking Dr. Whale and grabbing the bag of Henry's wet clothes, they walked towards their cars.

"Are you riding back with us, Killian?" Emma asked, gesturing towards the yellow bug.

"Uh, actually, I think I'll stay on the ship tonight. I thought you might like some time alone with the lad after the adventures today."

Emma furrowed her eyebrows briefly, slightly disappointed that she'd be spending the night alone but respecting his decision.

She leaned forward to give him a kiss goodbye that lingered a bit too long for David's liking before turning towards the bug while he jumped into the truck.

* * *

She slept terribly that night. Between checking on Henry ever two hours and struggling to find comfort alone in the too large bed, what little sleep she got was plagued with water-filled nightmares, complete with victims whose faces alternated between Henry's and Killian's.

Deciding sleep was futile, Emma sauntered into the kitchen, turned on the coffee maker and half-heartedly looked around for something quick and easy to make for breakfast. Waiting for her coffee to finish brewing, she stepped out onto the deck and caught a perfect view of _The Swan_ in the harbor. She shivered violently, noting this morning was far colder than what had been forecast, and she hoped Killian had stayed warm enough throughout the night.

She made a mental note to ask him when he came over for breakfast if he had enough provisions on board for the rare nights he did stay overnight, but he never showed. Emma prided herself on being independent and _not_ being a "stage-5 clinger" of a girlfriend, but it was unlike Killian to stay away for this long, so it was only natural she start to worry.

Noon came and went before she gave in and decided to head down to the docks. _I really need to get him a cell phone…_ she sighed while putting on her coat and grabbing her keys.

It was eerily quiet when she stepped onto the deck. She called out to him but there was no response. Making her way down the steps to the main cabin, she shivered again noticing how much colder it was inside and out of the sun. "Killian?" she called out to the mound of blankets on the bed in the cabin and was greeted by a low moan. Pulling back a few blankets, she finally found his face and the scowl that came with it.

"_Swan,_" Killian whined, "What are you doing?"

"Rousing the dead, apparently. You didn't come home this morning."

"Is it a crime to sleep in, sheriff?" he grumbled, pulling the blankets back up over his head with a loud cough.

"It's the afternoon, Hook." Rolling her eyes, she pulled the blankets back again, exposing his sleep-messed hair and pouting lips. She could feel the heat emitting from his body despite the fact he was shivering under the covers. One look at his eyes and she could tell just how miserable he was feeling.

Sighing, she sat down on the bed and pat his leg. "Look, buddy, I'm going to run to the store and get some medicine, then I'm going to take you home. You look terrible," she added with a grin. As much as it truly pained her to see him suffering, she couldn't resist a few jibes while he was being so grouchy.

"I'm ill, Swan, not invalid. I can manage myself," he growled, pulling the blankets back up with a definitive tug.

"I know," she said softly, curling into the lumpy mound on the bed, "but maybe I want to take care of you. I owe you for what you did yesterday." Thinking back, Killian wearing cold wet clothes for most of the day probably contributed to his current situation, and Emma felt another wave of gratitude for the man who saved her son.

"Love," he sighed, "You don't owe me anything. Henry's my family too."

She looked at him and smiled, knowing he truly meant it.

"Besides," he continued, "Dave is complete rubbish when it comes to fixing up a ship, so I had to keep the lad around. Good help like that is hard to find."

Laughing, she leaned in to meet his lips, not caring at the moment if he got her sick too. She came down to _The Swan_ to take care of him, but somehow, like always, he ended up comforting her. _Good help is hard to find,_ she thought with a smile. So she intended to keep him around for a long, long time.

* * *

_Please review! Reviews bring me sunshine and happiness :) _


End file.
